Transmission



April 30, 1940.

O. E. FISHBURN TRANSMISSION Filed April 2. 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet lINVENTOR 0150 Z? F'fisizovz A TTORNE Y5.

April 30, 1940. Q FlsHBURN 2,198,662

TRANSMISSION Filed April 2, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 \DJ I INVENTORPatented Apr. 30. 1940 greater TRANSMISSION Otto E. Fishburn, Detroit,Mich, assignor to a Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park,"- Mich, acorporation of Delaware i 1 Application April 2, 1938,1Seriai No.198,611

19 Claims. (01. 74-473) This invention relates to gear shifting mecha:nisms of the type usedin motor vehicle power transmissions forcontrolling the speed. ratio between the driving and driven shafts.

5 Qneof the objects of the; invention is the provision of improved meansfor dampening and eliminating objectionable noises resulting'fromvibrations in the transmission shifting. mechanism induced by roadshocks and. by operation 10 of the vehicle powerplant.

More particularly my invention is especially,

applicable to transmissions .of the well known X type having a gearshift lever movable laterally and longitudinally with the well known.H-type 1: of movement; for example, in selectively moving thetransmission shiftrails to effect changes in the gear trains of thetransmission. While it will be understood that the broader aspects of myinvention are not limited in its application 20 to the aforesaid wellkncwn arrangement of shiftable gear transmission, such arrangement ispreferred in explaining the principles of Imy invention and isaccordingly illustrated in my accompanying drawings; I c r 25- H In theforegoing type of transmission, I have provided improvedmeans preferablyof a yieldable nature which maintainstheshift lever out of engagementwith'the shifter rail during operation of the-transmission, that is, forinstance, I whenth e lever is moved into a notch in one of therails andis, retained therein during operation of the transmission intransmitting driving torque from the driving shaftto the driven shaft.

Shocksdue to road irregularities and to power plantyvibrations cause theshiftilever to setup objectionable noises, such as buzzingin the shiftrails, and the yielding means aforesaid serves to thus eliminatingscuflingand undue wear of the latter while eifiectively dampening theobjectionable noisesset up in the shifting mechanism by vibratory forcesaforesaid.

A still. further objectv of theinyention isto pro;

viderclatively simple and inexpensive means for mplishinathesaobjects.Further obiects and advantages of the invention. will be more apparentfrom the following description of the invention, taken in connectionwith the drawings; .in which:

Fig. 1 is a sectional side elevational view through the transmission andshift mechanism therefor. r i r7:

Fig. 2 is an enlargedsecond view View along the line 2-2 of Fig. 1showing the operating end portion of the shift lever.

Fig. 3 is a top .plan View taken as indicated by the line 33 of Fig. 1.Q

. Fig. 4. is a sectional side elevational view taken as indicated by theline 4-4 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 but indicating a modified form of theinvention.

Fig. 6 is a sectional side elevational View takenl as indicated by theline E-6 of Fig. 5.

Fig. 7 is aview similar to Figsf3. and 5 but indicating a furthermodification of the invention.

Fig. 8 is asectional side elevational. View taken as. indicated bytheline 8-4. of. Fig. 7.

Fig. 9 is an exploded viewin perspective of the insulating and(dampening means and retainer therefor; shown in. Figs. 3 and 4. v i

Fig. 10 is a View similar to Fig. 9 but illustrat- 2 ing the insulatingand dampening means and retainer therefor, shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

Fig. 11 is a perspective view of the insulating and dampening meansshown in Figs. 7 and 8.

In. the drawings, reference characterA remesents the transmission of anysuitable type selec tively operated by gear shift lever B.

Transmission A includes the usual driving shaft Ill, having a gear Hmeshing with gear l2 oncountershaft 3. The driven shaft M has a fixedgear 5, a slidable gear l6 splined thereon and'provided with a shiftcollar I1, and the slidable splined clutch member I3 having the usualinternal teeth ill-and 20 adapted to selectively clutch with teeth 2!and 22 carried by gears M, 40 and t5 respectively. Meshing. with gear I5is .a countershaft gear 23, the countershaft being further provided withgears 24 and 25.

First speed or low gear is obtained by sliding gear it into meshwithgear 24; second speed is effected by shifting clutch it to engage teeth2|] and 22; and direct or high is obtained by shifting clutch Hi toengage teeth I9 and 2!. Reverse is effected by shifting gear I6 intomeshwith a a reverse gear 26,. the latter being in constant mesh with gear25. The driven shaft l4 may have the usualv speedometer drive 27 andpropeller shaft brake generally. indicated at 28, it being understoodthat the drive passes rearwardly of the transmission. to drive the rearwheels (not shown) of the motor vehicle for a rear wheel drive type ofautomobile.

For controlling the selective movements of clutch l8 and collar ll ofgear IS, the shift lever B has an intermediate ball portion 29 supportedbetween upper and lower socket portions 30 and 35, a pin 32 extendingthrough ball 29 and having its ends projecting therefrom for guidedmovement in the vertical slots 33 of socket portion The ball 23 andlever B is thus capable of longitudinal or forward and rearwardmovements pivoting about pin 32, and lateral movements Within the socketportions 30 and 3|, the pin ends 32 sliding in slots 33. Preferably, thesocket portion 3| is yieldingly urged upwardly by a spring 34 seated byan annular series of abutments 35 pressed inwardly from the sheet, metalstack 36 which receivesthe lower end of lever B and supports ball 29,the stack 36 having a transmission cover portion 31 and being suitll,while rail is the shifter for the second and high speed ratios and isprovided with a finger 48 for operating the clutch It}.

A spring 49 yieldably urges the lower end of the lever laterally,preferably into the notch 44 of rail 46 when in neutral, and also exertsa longitudinal component of thrust on the lower end portion of the leverwhen the latter is thrust longitudinally in selectively moving therails, as is more particularly pointed out in Neracher U. S. Patent No.2,077,578.

The invention is directed more particularly to insulating the shiftleverand rails and in the illustrated embodiment thereof theinsulatingand dampening means is shown in connection with the shifter rail 46 forthe second and third speed ratios, inasmuch as it is Well known that thetransmission operates in the third speed ratio during the major portionof the time the vehicle is operated. It will be understood, of course,that the shifter lever and rail 42 may be similarly insulated, ifdesired.

The insulating and dampening means preferably comprises a yieldablematerial such as rubber, or synthetic rubber having the character isticsof natural rubber, but which will not deteriorate in the presence ofoils orlubricants. In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 1,2, 3, 4 and 9, a preformed block of yieldable material 50 rests upon thetop surface of the rail and is provided with a notch 5! adapted toregister with they notch 44 of the rail 46. As illustrated moreparticularly in Figs. 3 and 4, the material of the block Ell extendsinwardly beyond engages the wall of the notch and the forces foreifecting the aforesaid movement of the rail are not directed againstnor taken through the block 50 although it will be understood that thelatter will be yieldably deformed to some extent due to the movement ofthe lever; When, however, the longitudinal shift of the rail has beencompleted, the rounded portion 43 of the lever will be positioned asshown in Fig. 4 with respect tothe wall of the notch 44, the block 59retaining the lever out of engagement with the rail and thus eliminatingmetal to metal contact between these parts and the resultant noises dueto vibrationof the lever.

In this form of the invention the block 59 is 1, maintained in positionby a retainer 52 having a notch'53 therein registering with the notchesI 44 and 5! aforesaid, the walls of the notch 53' having suflicientclearance with the adjacent portion of the. lever to accommodatemovement of 2 the latter for shifting the rail 46. The retainer 52 maycomprisea stamping and has a substantially flat horizontally disposed"face portion and a plurality of depending flanges, including a sideflange 54, the lower end portion, of which has a curvature conformingtothe curvatureof the adjacent portion .of the rail and engaging thelatter., Flanges '55 are disposed on either side of the notchan'dprevent displacement of the H block in a direction laterally of therail whilesl an oppositelydisposed flange 56 has its free end portionbent at right angles to engage the underneath surface of therail, as isshown'at 51 in Fig; 3. A fiange 58 ,is disposed opposite the flange 54and cooperates with the latter to prevent displacement of the blocklongitudinally with respectito the rail. The end portion of the flange,58 is bent atright angles tofengage the undersurfaceiofthe rail,asindicated in Fig. 4. M In assembly, the block'5 0 and the'retainer5?,"41

as shown in Fig. 9, are assembled by inserting theformer within thelatter so that the notches thereof are in registered relation. Theflanges 56 and 5 8 are deformed to the positions shown in Figs.- 3 andfland the assembly slipped onto ii the rail. This method of assembly ispermitted by reason of the fact thatthe flanges 55 are rel atively shortand do not depend sufiiciently to interfere with the rail in slipping"the assembly onto the latter. If desired, however, the flanges iil 56and 58 may be deformed after the block and retainer have been positionedwith respect to the rail. The flange 541's preferably arc-welded to therailas indicated at 5B, the arrangement of H parts facilitating thisoperation without inju-'-r:

rious effects to the materialof the block.

Positioning the block 50 at the upper surface of the rail 46- permitstheuse of a substantial body of the material at opposite sides of thenotch,

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5, Sand 10,'the blockof yieldable material .50 is generally similar'to thatillustrated inFig.

9 and is positioned at the lower surface of the '6 rail 46 with thenotch. 5| registering with the .notch 44 of the rail. An edge portion 60of the blockfill conforms to the curvature. ofthe adjacent portion ofthe rails, as is shown in Fig. 6.

The walls of the notch 5|? extend inwardly be- '7( tion 43 of the leverB also engages the walls of 75 rail. The wall portions oi the notchretain the rounded portion 43 of the lever out of contact with the wallof the rail during operation 3 of the transmission, thus eliminatingmetal to metal contactbetween these parts and the resultant noises whichwould otherwise be set up in the shifting mechanism by road shocks andoperation of the vehicle motor. i

Theblock 56 ismaintained in assembled positionby retainer 52', generallysimilar to the retainer 52, and having a plurality of side flanges asillustrated more particularly in Fig."l0. side flange'l'at' is deformedinwardly into overlapping engagementwith theadjacent edge portion of therail, asshown' in Figs. 5 and 6, and a second fiange 56 isdeiormed intooverlap-ping fleng agement with the adjacent; portion of the rail. Apair of relatively short; flanges 53 engage the outer face of the block5! to prevent displacement of the latter laterally with respect to therail; .one of the flanges 53 extending longitudinallyof the rail tooverlap theadjacent portion thereof as indicated at 66.

In'this form of the invention block as is inserted in the retainer 52andthe assembly is then positionedwith respect to the rail as shown in 5and6, The flanges and fill are then preferably deiormed into engagementwith the rail, asshown in Figs. sand 6, although it will be understoodthat, ii desiredg the flange 56' or '58" may be deformed tothe position.shown in Figs; 5 and 6 and the assembly slipped on the rail The other ofthe latter flanges is then de formed to a position for final assembly.The retainer 52' is preferably securely fixed in assembled position byspot-welding the same to the rail, as indicated at iii].

In the form of the invention illustrated in Figs.

:7, s and 11, the block of yieldable material as".

isvulcanized or otherwise suitably bonded to a plate 62 and thisassembly positioned with respect to the raised portionof the rail 56with the upper face ofthebloclrengaging the lower surface of the rail."The plate 62 has a notch. 53

set forth in connection with the forms of the inventionpreviouslydescribed. The plate 52 and block 58 are retained fixed position with respect to the rail by rivets 6d disposed in aligned openings in theplate, block and rail.

The blocks fill, 5i? and so" preferably comprise a yieldaole materialwhich will not deteriorate inthe presence of oil or other lubricants.These blocks also preferably comprise a material having sound deadeningproperties. As an illustrative embodiment, these members mayc'ompriseneoprene, formerly called duprene and chemically known as polymerizedchloprenc, the prod resulting from such action.

ture of the foregoing parts: i

The following is an illustrative neoprenecomposition which is suitablefor the manufac- Parts by weight Neoprene 100 Magnesium oxide -i 10 Zincoxide "a; 10 Wood resins 5 Antioxidant i i 1 Sulphur c 1 Carbon blackBrown factice It has been determined that a vehicle. motor which ismounted by means of rubber supportsdi as is well known in the motor'mounting art, produces definite vibratory forces some of which tend tovibrate the shift lever in a direction generally longitudinally ofthevehicle whilezo-ther of these forces t'eiid to vilorate the leverlaterally. In the go illustrative embodiments of the invention, theinsulating means including the blocks 50, and 58" serve to minimize anddampen these vibra tions of the lever and thereby eliminate the noisesInthe operation of the illustrative embodiment of the invention when thevehicle is at rest, the spring 49 urges the lever B laterally into thenotch M of rail 46 and the block of yi'eldable material,

as shown in the various embodiments thereoifiao engages the peripheralsurface of the lever adja-. cent the rounded portion 63 thereof formaintaining the latter out of contact with the walls of the notch MyVibration of the lever clue to I shocks induced by operation of thevehicle motor85 does not produce the variousnoises which would 6otherwise result should the rounded portion of the lever be permitted tointerrnittently or constantly contact the walls of the notchi'n therail.

It is well known that the transmission mechanismq operates through thethird speedratioduring the major portion of the time thevehicle isoperated,

and when the transmission is so operated the lever B is maintained outof contact with the walls of the notch andthe rail as is ther1q notbeing manufactured and sold under the above trade names. .While thisproduct has rubberlike physical characteristics, its oil and heatresisting properties are far superior to the correbeformed if desired.

case when the vehicle is at rest. Thus the lever and rail are soinsulated as to eliminate and dampennoises resulting from vibrationsinthe shiitingmechanism; including the lever and rails, duringSubstantially the entire period. of vehicle 50 operation,

Although several specific embodiments of the invention are hereinshownand described, it will beunderstood that various changes in the size,shape and arrangement of parts may be made" without departing from thespirit of my in vention.

What I claim is: a 1. In a transmission mechanism. including a Aplurality of selectively operable speed ratio de fi vices, means. forselectively controlling the speed ratio devices including a shifterrailhaving a notch therein, a shift lever having a portion thereof adaptedto be received in said notch and engage the wall of the latter foractuating said rail, and means for insulating said lever with respect tosaid rail, said" means including a yieldable member comprising a rubbeililge composition disposedadiacent to. and inregistering relationshipwith said notch and adapted to en- 7 gage said lever in spaced relationto said portion thereof engageahle with said rail for actuating thelatter.

2..In a .transmissio n mechanism including a plurality of selectivelyoperable speed ratio de- -15 notch therein, a shift lever having aportion thereof adapted to be received in said notch and engage the Wallof the latter for actuating said rail, means for insulating said leverwith respect to said rail, said means including a yieldable membercomprising a rubber-like compo- 'sition adapted to engage said lever inspaced relation. to said portion thereof engageable with said rail foractuating the latter, and means for securing said member to said rail.

3. In a transmission mechanism including a plurality of selectivelyoperable speed ratio devices, means for selectivelycontrolling the'speedratio devices including a shifter rail having a notch therein, a shiftlever having a portion thereof adapted to be received in said notch andengage the wall of the latter for actuating said rail, means forinsulating said lever with respect to said rail, said means including ayieldable member comprising a rubber-like composition adapted to engagesaid lever in spaced relation to said portion thereof engageable withsaid rail for actuating the latter, and means for securing said memberto said'rail, said securing means and said member each having a notchtherein registering with the notch in said rail, the notch Y in saidsecuring means and'said rail each having a dimension greater in onedirection than the dimension of the notch in said member in thecorresponding direction.

4. Ina transmission mechanism including a plurality of selectivelyoperable speed ratio devices, means for selectively controlling thespeed ratio devices including a shifter rail having a notch therein, ashift lever having a portion thereof adapted to be received in saidnotch and engage the wall of the latter for actuating. said rail, meansfor insulating said lever with respect to said rail, said meansincluding a yieldable member comprising a'rubberlike composition adaptedto engage said lever in spaced relation to said portion thereofengageable with said rail for actuating the latter, and means forsecuring said member to said rail, said securing means including ametallic plate-like element bonded to said member.

5. In a transmission mechanism including a plurality of selectivelyoperable speed ratio devices, means for selectively controlling thespeed ratio devices including a shifter rail having a notch therein, ashift lever having a portion thereof adapted to be received in saidnotch and engage the wall of the later for actuating said rail, meansfor insulating said lever With respect to said rail, said meansincluding a yieldable member comprising a rubber-like compositionadapted to engage said lever in spaced relation to said portion thereofengageable with said rail for actuating the latter, and means forsecuring said member to said rail, said securing means ineluding aretainer having a portion thereof overlapping said member and having aflange engaging said rail. g n

6. In a, transmission mechanism including a plurality of selectivelyoperable speed ratio delic member carried by said rail and adapted toengage said lever in spaced relation to said portion thereofengageablewithsaid rail for-actuating the latter, said memberretainingthe first mentioned portion of said lever in spaced relation tothe wall of said notch when said lever is at rest therein.

7. In a transmission mechanism including a plurality of selectivelyoperable speed ratio devices, means including a shiftable member forselectively controlling the speed ratio devices,

means for actuating said shiftable member in-- eluding an actuatingmember having a portion thereof adapted to engage said shiftable membersupported by said shiftable member and enfor actuating the latter,andnon-metallic means gageable with another portion of said actuating;

member for yieldably retaining the first mentioned portion of the latterin spaced relation to said shiftable member.

8. In a transmission mechanism including a plurality of selectivelyoperable speed ratio devices, means including a shiftable member forselectively controlling the speed ratio devices, means for actuatingsaid shiftable member, in-

I eluding an actuating member having a portion thereof adapted to engagesaid shiftable member tioned portion of the latter in spaced relationtoi said shiftable member, said means including an abutment comprising arubber-like com-position characterized by sound insulating andlubricantresisting properties. v

9. In avariable speed ratio transmission of the manual selection type, apair of longitudinally shiftable rails adapted to selectively controlthe speed ratios, each of said rails having a notch therein, a manuallyoperable lever; means for pivotally mounting said lever with. anoperating end portion thereof positioned for selective engagement insaid notches whereby said rails may be moved longitudinally'relative toeachother, means yieldably thrusting said leverlaterally into one ofsaid notches, non metallic means for yieldably retaining said lever inspaced relation to the walls of said last mentioned notch, saidnon-metallic means yieldably"accommodating movement of said leverwhereby the latter directly engages the wall of said last mentionednotch for eifecting longitudinal movement of the associated rail.

10. In a transmission mechanism including a plurality of selectivelyoperable speed ratio devices, means forselectively controlling the speedratio devices including a shifter rail having a notch therein, a shiftlever having a portion thereof adapted to be received in said notch andengage the wall of the latter for actuating said spect to said rail,said means including a yieldable member comprising a rubber-likecomposition adapted to engage said lever in spaced relation to saidportion thereof engageable with said rail for actuating the latter, saidmember having a notch therein registering with the notch in said rail,the wall defining the notch in said member extending inwardly withrespect to the notch in said rail beyond the wall definingthe latternotch. i

11. In a variable speed ratio transmission of the selectively operabletype, means including a pair of rails adapted to selectively control thespeed ratios, a pivotally mounted lever for mov: ing said railslongitudinally of each other, one of rail, and means for insulating saidlever with resaidrails having a notched portion ofi-set vertically withrespect to the adjacent portion of the other of said rails and adaptedto receive said lever, said lever having a thrust portion engageablewith said notched off-set portion for moving said rail longitudinally,and a yieldable non-metallic member for maintaining the thrust portionof said lever in spaced relation to said notched off-set portion whensaid lever is at rest in the latter, said member yielding to accommodateengagement of said thrust portion with said notched off-set portion. I

12. In a variable speed ratio transmission of the selectively operabletype, means including a pair of rails adapted to selectively control thespeed ratios, a pivotally mounted lever for moving said railslongitudinally of each other, one of said rails having a notched portionoff-set vertically with respect to the adjacent portion of the other ofsaid rails and adapted to receive said lever, said lever having a thrustportion engageable with said notched oil-set portion for moving saidrail longitudinally, and ayieldable non-metallic member for maintainingthe thrust portion of said lever in spaced relation to said notchedoff-set portion when said lever is at rest in the latter, said memberyielding to accommodate engagement of said thrust portion with saidnotched off-set portion, and means for securing said yieldable member tothe vertically oiT-set portion of said rail. i

13. In a variable speed ratio transmission of I the selectively operabletype, means including a pair of rails adapted to selectively control thespeed ratios, a pivotally mounted lever for moving said railslongitudinally of each other, one of said rails having a notched portionoff-set vertically with respect to the adjacent portion of the other ofsaid rails and adapted to receive said lever, said lever having a thrustportion engageablewith said notched off-set portion for moving said raillongitudinally, and a yieldable non-metallic member secured to the uppersurface of the off-set portion of said trail for maintaining the thrustportion of said lever in spaced relation to I said notched off-setportion When said lever is at rest in the latter, said member yieldingto accommodate engagement of said'thrust portion with said notchedoff-set portion.

14. In a variable speed ratio mechanism of the selectively operabletype, means including a shiftable member havinga notch therein adaptedto selectively control a speed ratio, means including a control memberengageable with said shiftable member for actuating the latter, andnon-metallic means for yieldably maintaining said control member inspaced relation to said shiftable member when the latter is at rest insaid notch,

said non-metallic means yielding to accommodate said engagement of saidcontrol member with said shiftable member.

15. In a motion transferring mechanism, an operating member having athrust portion thereof, an operated member adapted for movement by saidoperating member, yielding means carried "by one of said members andengaging the other for yieldingly spacing the thrust portion of saidoperating member from said operated member, said yielding meansaccommodating engagement of said thrust portion with said operatedmember for moving said operated member from said operating member.

16. In a variable speed ratio mechanism of the selectively operabletype, means adapted to seable non-metallic means normally maintaining.

said members in spaced relation such that said members are free fromdirect contact with each other in all directions, said means yielding toaccommodate thrust transmitting contact between said members in responseto force application by the first mentioned member.

18. In a variable speed ratio mechanism of the selectively operabletype, means including a shiftable member adapted to selectively controla speed ratio, an operating member movable into engagement with saidshiftable member for actuating the latter, and yieldable non-metallicmeans carried by one of said members and engageable with the other forinsulating said members one from the other.

19. In a power transmission mechanism including a plurality ofselectively operable speed ratio devices, at least one of said devicesincluding a shiitable member, means for controlling the selectiveoperation of said devices including O'I'I'O E. FISHBURN.

